Moscow’s response to European attack will be devastating: Russian foreign minister
Moscow (PTI): Russia does not intend to attack anyone in Europe, but its response to any strike will be devastating, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday, noting the EU’s “war party” has become a stumbling block in Ukraine peace efforts.
Lavrov’s warning came on a day Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is scheduled to meet with US President Donald Trump at the latter's Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida.
“My message for European politicians who seem to have problems getting to grips with this fact is to repeat one more time that there is no need to be afraid of Russia attacking anyone,” Lavrov said in an interview with state-run news agency TASS.
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“However, should anyone consider attacking Russia, they would face a devastating blow,” Lavrov added.
As Zelenskyy is set to meet Trump with his peace plan backed by key European powers, who according to media reports, insist on deployment of European troops as part of security guarantees for Kiev, Lavrov said they will be a ‘legitimate target’ for Russia.
“Whether leaders like (EU chief) Ursula von der Leyen, (German Chancellor) Friedrich Merz, (UK prime minister) Keir Starmer and (French President) Emmanuel Macron and the like have reached a point of no return is hard to say.
“We do see that so far, the European war party has been investing its political capital in inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia, and is ready to go the whole nine yards,” the Russian minister said.
“I would like to place a special emphasis on the fact that these actions on their behalf were totally illegitimate. After all, Russia has never taken the initiative to target its European neighbours with unfriendly actions,” Lavrov stated.
He said Russia appreciates efforts by President Trump and his team to achieve a peace settlement. Moscow is committed to continuing to work with the American negotiators to devise lasting agreements for addressing the conflict’s root causes, he added.
After Trump came to power, Europe and the European Union emerged as the main stumbling block to peace, he said. “They are making no secret of the fact that they are getting ready to fight it out with Russia on the battlefield.”
In another report, TASS quoted Lavrov as saying that Moscow will fully back Beijing on Taiwan in the event of a flared up conflict as the West sees it as a tool of military-strategic deterrence against China.
“As for the possible escalation in the Taiwan Strait, the procedure for acting in such situations is set forth in the Treaty of Good-Neighbourliness and Friendly Cooperation with the People’s Republic of China of July 16, 2001.
“One of the basic principles of that document is mutual support in defending national unity and territorial integrity,” Lavrov pointed out.
“Taiwan is currently used as a tool of military-strategic deterrence against the PRC. This is also a matter of pursuing vested interests: some in the West are keen to profit from Taiwanese money and technologies,” Lavrov underscored.
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Maharashtra cops bust ₹1.2 crore worth drugs in Bengaluru ahead of New Year
Bengaluru: With New Year celebrations just days away, the Maharashtra Anti-Narcotics Task Force (ANTF), with assistance from the Bengaluru City Police, has seized drugs worth about ₹1.20 crore from different parts of the city.
The seizure was made during coordinated raids conducted by Maharashtra police teams at Horamavu, Yerrappanahalli and Kannur areas on the outskirts of Bengaluru. During the operation, police recovered around 4.1 kg of solid MDMA and 17 kg of liquid MDMA, with a total estimated value of ₹1.20 crore.
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Home Minister Dr G. Parameshwara, who briefed senior police officers during a meeting in the city on Sunday, said the operation was part of intensified action against drug trafficking that has been underway across the state since October and November. He said the Maharashtra police had first arrested an accused in Mumbai on December 27, based on whose information another accused was traced and arrested in Bengaluru through a joint operation involving Maharashtra police and the Bengaluru City Police.
According to the Home Minister, the accused had stored mephedrone, a chemical used in the manufacture of synthetic drugs. Based on inputs from the Mumbai arrest, a coordinated operation was carried out by the Bengaluru City Police, Mumbai Police, the Narcotics Control Bureau and other investigating agencies. He dismissed claims that Bengaluru police had not acted in the case, stating that the operation was a result of joint efforts.
Dr Parameshwara also rejected reports claiming that three drug manufacturing units were operating in Bengaluru, calling such information false. He said senior Bengaluru police officers, including deputy commissioners, were present during the raids along with Maharashtra police officials. He added that the fight against drug networks was being carried out in an organised manner at the national level, with intensified enforcement since October.
Clarifying reports that suggested drugs worth ₹58 crore had been seized, the Home Minister said those figures were incorrect. He stated that the total quantity of drugs recovered was around 4 kg in solid form, valued at ₹1.20 crore. He noted that in several cases, Karnataka police also act on information provided by accused persons arrested in other states, and such coordination should not be portrayed as a failure of local police.
He warned that strict action would be taken if lapses were found at any level, including against deputy commissioners, assistant commissioners or local officers, adding that disciplinary action could go beyond suspension if required.
Senior officials, including Director General of Police Dr M.A. Saleem, Bengaluru City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh, joint commissioners and deputy commissioners from various wings, were present at the meeting.
Reacting to the development, former Deputy Chief Minister and BJP MLA Dr C.N. Ashwath Narayan alleged that the Home Department had failed to curb the organised production, transport and sale of drugs in the state. He said the fact that Maharashtra police were conducting raids in Karnataka reflected poorly on the state’s law enforcement machinery.
BJP state president B.Y. Vijayendra also criticised the government, claiming that Bengaluru was fast turning into a “drug hub” and questioning the effectiveness of the state’s intelligence and police systems. He said the involvement of police from other states in exposing drug networks in Karnataka was a matter of serious concern and an embarrassment for the state administration.
